Frequently asked questions about Chinese medicine and leukemia and lymphoma

  How does Chinese medicine recognize leukemia?  Although it is difficult to find the term “leukemia” in the Chinese medical literature, it is well documented and discussed in the categories of “hot consumption”, “deficiency labor”, and “blood evidence”. The term “leukemia” is difficult to find in Chinese medical literature, but it is well documented and discussed in the categories of “hot consumption”, “deficiency labor” and “blood evidence”. According to Chinese medicine, the cause of leukemia is mainly due to deficiencies in qi and blood, and the result of a combination of internal and external factors, which is very similar to Western medicine where autoimmune function is low, or genetic defects make the pathogenic factors develop in the body.  Which herbs are effective for leukemia?  Chinese medicine treatment is mainly based on clinical reality and is treated in stages. In the early stage of treatment, the main focus is to support the righteousness and detoxify the toxin, so as to provide preparation for chemotherapy; in the chemotherapy period, the main focus is to overcome the serious adverse reactions caused by chemotherapy drugs, so as to ensure that chemotherapy is carried out smoothly; in the late stage of chemotherapy, the functions of internal organs should be adjusted to promote the recovery of organ functions. Based on this principle, anti-tumor drugs such as Huachansu tablets and anti-cancer pills can be used, and drugs such as Bajhen granules, Jin Kui Kidney Qi Pills, Ginseng and Atractylodis Macrocephalae, and Zhen Qi Fu Zheng granules to support the righteousness of the body can have certain auxiliary therapeutic effects on leukemia.  When should leukemia patients take Chinese medicine?  Chinese medicine can be taken from the time leukemia is diagnosed. Chinese herbal medicine treatment is based on clinical practice and is administered in stages, with different treatment methods and different effects. In the early stage of treatment, the main purpose is to support the righteousness and detoxify the toxin, mainly to encourage the righteousness, resist the poisonous evil, enhance the function of the body and provide preparation for chemotherapy; in the chemotherapy period, the main purpose is to overcome the serious adverse reactions caused by chemotherapy drugs to ensure that chemotherapy is carried out smoothly; in the late stage of chemotherapy, the function of the internal organs should be adjusted to promote the recovery of the organ function. Therefore, Chinese herbal medicines can be taken throughout the disease process to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, improve the quality of life and prolong the survival of patients.  Can Chinese medicine fight against leukemia drug resistance?  Leukemia drug resistance refers to the insensitivity or resistance of leukemia cells to the chemotherapeutic drugs used. When the percentage of leukemia cells in a patient’s bone marrow does not decrease significantly after several courses of combination chemotherapy, or decreases momentarily, but soon increases to pre-chemotherapy levels after a short break, this is considered leukemia resistance. The development of drug resistance in leukemia cells is one of the main reasons for the failure of current leukemia treatment.  Modern research has confirmed that some herbal medicines, such as Panax ginseng, Rhizoma Dioscoreae, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Poria, Radix et Rhizoma Paeoniae, Radix Codonopsis, Rhizoma Yam, Asparagus, Semen, etc., can not only induce leukemia cell apoptosis and prevent leukemia cell resistance, but also regulate the body’s immune function and activate various immune cells. Therefore, a reasonable combination of herbal treatment can effectively prevent leukemia drug resistance.  What is the effect of TCM treatment for malignant lymphoma?  Both Chinese medicine and Western medicine have their own advantages and disadvantages in the treatment of malignant lymphoma, and so far there is no method that can achieve absolute perfection, so clinically it is often necessary to combine several methods to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses in order to achieve the best efficacy. Therefore, in many clinical cases, it is necessary to combine several methods and complement each other to achieve the best efficacy. TCM has a strong holistic concept in treating lymphoma, which can often consider the characteristics of the whole body of the patient rather than just limiting to the cancer lesion itself. TCM conditioning can correct the disorders of the body, remove the recurrence factors of tumor and reduce the chance of metastasis; TCM is less harmful to healthy cells and generally will not produce new damage to physical strength due to the treatment itself, so that physical strength will also be gradually restored and immunity will be gradually enhanced. Chinese medicine, together with radiotherapy, can produce special efficacy in reducing toxic side effects of these methods and significantly improve patients’ survival and survival quality. If lymphoma patients can timely cooperate with TCM treatment after radiotherapy to support the root of the disease, improve the patient’s diet and sleep, and enhance the patient’s physical condition, then it will be beneficial to prevent the recurrence and metastasis of lymphoma. If Chinese medicine treatment for lymphoma is combined with chemotherapy or after chemotherapy, such as strengthening the spleen and stomach, benefiting qi and blood, tonifying liver and kidney, softening and removing blood stasis, it can better alleviate the reaction of chemotherapy and help chemotherapy proceed smoothly, and some Chinese medicines (such as Salvia, Ganoderma, Panax ginseng, etc.) can even improve the efficacy of chemotherapy.  Which Chinese medicines are effective for malignant lymphoma?  To treat lymphoma with TCM, we should follow the principle of diagnosis and treatment of TCM, and then propose the corresponding TCM treatment plan for lymphoma according to the patient’s symptoms, physical signs, the western medical treatment methods used, different treatment stages, as well as the patient’s post-illness Qi and blood strength and weakness, and the yin and yang deficiency of internal organs function. The Chinese medicine treatment plans, such as Compound Bambusa capsule, Pingxiao capsule and Xiaojin pill, have certain efficacy.